Experimental murine tuberculosis

Rifabutin is a derivative of rifamycin that shares a common mechanism of action (inhibition of mycobacterial RNA polymerase), but is more active than rifampin in vitro and in experimental murine tuberculosis. 

The enhancing effect of cord factor on murine tuberculosis seems to be specific injections of mycolic acid or of bacterial-wax fractions other than cord factor do not influence the course of experimental tuberculosis. Infections of mice by gram-negative bacteria are not affected by injections of cord factor. ... 

Currently, there is only one formulation of Amikacin in liposomes under clinical trials for treatment of tuberculosis. The antibiotic was found to be twofold to sixfold more active than the free drug in an acute experimental model of murine tuberculosis in which bacteria are located in macrophages. The count of viable bacteria found in the liver and spleen was reduced by a factor of 3-log compared with the untreated mice [158]. However, in human, this formulation was not as active as expected. To explain the disappointed results obtained, it was suggested that the liposomes could target the antibiotics in the macrophages but this was not enough to reach extracellular bacilli, which are clustered in cavity caseum in the human... 

---